Gor. Ge. Ous.

When I first saw this collaborative work, by Britt Bass and Morgan Blake, I thought “Oh, ok, so Britt painted over top of Morgan‘s photos. Nice.” … but wait, that’s not quite right. Morgan’s photos are actually printed on transparencies, and then laid over Britt’s painted canvas. I realize the effect is similar, but I kind of love this “reverse” way of doing it. There’s a lot less control, because what’s underneath is already underneath. An exciting surprise to see what shows through!

{ps. All of these prints under $45… framed! Yep, you better go get one right this very minute!}

These are the stunning oil paintings of British artist Mary Jane Ansell. I am in awe of her undeniable talent, but I have to admit… what really got me was the beautiful/odd subject matter. Pretty girls in colonial military hats? Perfection.

I absolutely love the watercolor frescos of American artist Ali Cavanaugh. I am in awe of her painting skills, and I love, love, love her unique subject matter. I wrote about her in 2009, and as I started to think about packing for Alt Summit {less than a week to go!}, her work came springing back to mind. Striped tights, polka-dots, and pretty girls with their hair twisted back… ok, maybe just one more pair of stripey socks in my suitcase.

Whoa. Crazy, beautiful, organic ceramic pieces by Nuala O’Donovan, an artist based in Cork, Ireland. I am imagining that these photos do not do her work justice. I would love the chance to have a closer look, and actually hold one of these stunning objects in my hot little hands… very, very carefully, of course. Here is Nuala’s artist statement about this work, and her process:

“My work combines regular pattern with the characteristics of irregular patterns and forms from nature. Each element of the pattern is individually made, the form is constructed slowly over a period of weeks or months. The finished forms are a result of an intuitive response to the direction that the pattern takes as well as the irregularity in the handmade elements of the pattern.”

Ok. I just saw these amazing little things over on sfgirlbybay… about 10 minutes ago. I know, I know, but I could not control myself – I absolutely had to show them too! Tiny graphite drawings of places, that Krista Charles finds on Google Street View, to match {no pun intended} the address on the matchbook. She even includes itty-bitty notes under the drawing, to document what is in that location now… see that final one? “Now Empty Lot”. I can’t imagine how obsessed she must be with collecting matches… and sharpening her pencil, for that matter! Love.

Gasp! I love these, very, very, very much. All of these dreamy images are from a series, titled “Flying Houses”, by French photographer Laurent Chéhère. {If you happened to be in Paris last fall, you might have seen them on display at Galerie Paris-Beijing – I wish I had been in Paris to see these last fall!} Laurent is an award-winning advertising photographer, who left it all behind to travel the world and pursue his personal work – pulling up roots, and flying off to see the world… hm.

{via Colossal}

Now that’s my kind o’ fashion. Istanbul based artist & graphic designer Ceren Kilic has crafted these lovely silhouettes from all sorts of bits and pieces. She says that she’s inspired by “old french movies, people in the 50s and 60s, geometry, celestial objects (such as stars, nebulae, galaxies), landscapes and mineralogy” … Yep, I can see that! Rich colors, stunning found imagery, and simple/gorgeous shapes. Ok, so who wants to put one on, and go dancing? Me too!

Wow. Stunning, detailed, beautifully-executed beadwork over portraits, photographed by Alfred Cheney Johnston, of actresses from the 20′s and 30′s. Latvian bead-artist Binka Rigava was recently commissioned to create these pieces for the newly remodeled restaurant & bar at at Hotel Monteleone, in New Orleans’ historic French quarter. I got an email yesterday from a restaurant/hotel designer named Ashley Wilkins, who in partnership Lindsay Broad, {both of whom work at Puccini Group in San Francisco} were the amazing team on this project. They wanted to “commission art that would speak to the mystery and golden age of the hotel”… luckily, they found Binka’s work on Etsy, and the rest is history!

{Speaking of history: Hotel Monteleone is a Literary and Historic landmark. The hotel has been open since before the 1930′s and has been written about in novels from authors like Hemingway,  Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and many more. The carousel in the bar is existing and has been there for over 70 years. The carousel even slowly spins completing a full circle once every 15 minutes.}

Have a look:

Gorgeous.

Bubbles!!!! Oh my gosh, I’m trying so hard not to make a joke about ‘pop’ art.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to come around a corner, and find a floor full of giant, delicate, unpoppable plastic bubbles? Well, if you’re lucky enough to see the installation work of German artist Luka Fineisen, that’s exactly what you’ll get! *POP*

{via Fine Line Magazine}

I absolutely love this series by American artist Evie Woltil Richner. Feathery, delicate drawings lovingly applied to old, family photos – memorializing those who are no longer with us. I would try to explain further, but Evie’s words are so much more powerful:

“…Each of these pieces is a burial, but also a memorial. Working from photographs of deceased relatives, I am physically burying them in a shroud of drawn feathers. Through burial, we acknowledge loss. The person is removed from our lives.
My Grammy, as I always called her, moved in with us when I was in elementary school. She had Alzheimer’s disease and we took care of her. Over time, I could see her memory disappearing. She would forget who people were and repeat the same stories and phrases over and over. She lives now only in my memory and in the memories of those who knew her, but my memories are wispy, like bits of dreams a few hours after you’ve had them. Some of the memories are barely there. I can see only a sliver of them. Afraid of the erosion of my own memory, my creations are also an act of remembrance – remembering my Grammy as she was when she lived with us, and also reconstructing who she might have been before I knew her. Through the ritual of drawing over images of her, I return to thoughts of her again and again.
When finished, the pieces become a signifier, like a gravestone, of a person who once was, and just as gravestones serve to connect us with a loved one after they’ve passed, these pieces are a physical connection I have to her. The feathers specifically reference the cross-cultural symbolism of the bird as a connection between heaven and earth.”

Beautifully said… and beautifully executed.